Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; May 18, 2018)

Sanah Kapur, daughter of actors Supriya Pathak and Pankaj Kapur, is happy that her parents never planned a filmi launch for her. The actress, who made her debut with half-brother Shahid Kapoor in Shaandaar (2015), will now be seen in Harsh Chhaya’s black comedy Khajoor Pe Atke. In an interview with BT, she talks about the nepotism debate, about carving her own identity and wanting to be unique.

Since you belong to a family of actors, did you ever feel the pressure of audience expectations? Do you feel your parents, Supriya Pathak and Pankaj Kapur’s image as actors will influence the kind of roles that are offered to you?
I only do roles that excite me. I am not thinking of what kind of expectations people have from me because it is futile to think about it so much. I am just trying my best like everyone else in the film industry. I literally grew up on film sets so doing a film was not something new for me. But just like individuals who don’t belong to film families, we too have our struggles, albeit in different ways. I admit that there is a certain vision filmmakers have, when you belong to a family of actors, and they might offer you roles depending on that. My growing up years were spent with friends who grew up to be pilots, engineers or doctors. Also, this nepotism debate does not hold true for me because my parents have never been in the centre of things in Bollywood. They have never picked up the phone and asked someone to give me a role. My parents have always wanted me to have my own struggle and carve an identity on my own. That’s why when people ask me, ‘why did your parents not launch you with a film?’ I honestly answer, neither me nor my parents wanted it that way. In fact, when I was chosen for Shaandaar, Vikas Bahl was not even aware that Shahid is my brother. He auditioned me and informed bhaiyya about it much later, when he came to know of my true identity.

Your film Khajoor Pe Atke is also a comedy like your debut, Shaandaar. What was new about this film and your role?
I play the daughter of Manoj Pahwa, who is the eldest brother of the family. While the whole family is worried about a relative’s health, my character has her own agendas and is trying to connect with a bigger city because she has always lived in a small town. It was a lot of fun playing this character because there was scope to do something different from what I had done before in my debut film.

Talking of Manoj Pahwa, it is believed that you are engaged to Manoj and Seema Pahwa’s son Mayank?
Really? I will keep my mouth shut on this and say ‘No comments’.

How was it working with actor-turned-director Harsh Chhaya, and sharing the set with actors like Manoj, Seema and Vinay Pathak?
When you work with a director who has worked in films as an actor, he understands the requirements of an actor. Harsh made us comfortable and was happy to let us explore a lot more than what we expected. There was a lot of freedom to improvise on scenes and I learnt a lot from all the actors. We were like one big, happy family on the sets.

Most Bollywood actors’ sons and daughters spend a lot of time and effort styling and grooming themselves. They’re all over social media too and are always present at the right place, at the right time. We don’t see you accompanying your parents or brother at public events though. Is it a conscious effort?
Like I said before, I was brought up like a normal child. Our work and family lives are different and though I take my parents’ feedback on many things, I have never been to any parties, especially when I grew up. It is only after Shaandaar, when I got invited, that I started attending parties. Most importantly, I am not a star kid. My parents are actors. I am acting because I am passionate about the craft and so I feel I should just go with the flow. Tomorrow, if I have to style or groom myself for a role, I will be happy doing it, but otherwise I believe in being true to who I am. I am proud of how I am conducting myself and I love myself. I did the role of a fat girl in Shaandaar, who doesn’t find a guy because she’s obese, as it offered me something different. I think it is important to be unique and enjoy what you do, rather than do something that everyone else is doing.

You mentioned before that Mira Kapoor does not like you calling her bhabhi…
(Laughs!) That’s a joke we share. Mira is younger than me and so when I started calling her bhabhi, she felt a bit odd and requested that I not do that.